After walking and stopping in the forest, eating wild berries, drinking from a clean looking stream and walking more and more I suddenly arrive in a city.
It's so sudden it takes a while for my brain to process. One moment I'm stepping through the fallen leaves, barely able to lift one foot in front of the other, the sun uncomfortable and hot, and in the next I'm stepping in asphalt, the road narrow and deserted, strange feeling houses on both sides of the road, most looking like they haven't been lived in for ages.
There's barely any color difference in the houses, all of them are just there near the road, all doors and windows closed, with curtains drawn tightly.
It looks like some of those hastily abandoned cities honestly, there's some things scattered in the frontyards, some children's toys and bicycles, but there's no car. In some houses there's even some dirty clothes on the ground like the owners were running for their lives carrying everything they could and things simply fell and nobody picked it up.
It's so quiet, not even the sound of birds, no wind, no nothing.
The eerie feeling makes my skin break out in goosebumps.
Sinuhe is still sleeping inside my coat.
I keep walking on the side of the road without making any noise.
The road goes into an intersection, the same houses in all directions as far as the eye can see. I choose a direction at random, it doesn't seem to make any difference either way.
For some reason I don't have the urge to knock on any door or take a closer look at any house, it's better to not get too close.
After turning a corner some stores start to appear. They look just as desolate as the previous houses and I don't know if the sun is too shiny or what but my vision is a little blurry and I can't make out any of the store names.
There isn't a single building that has more than two stories, it looks like a small rural city.
After passing yet another corner I finally see an open store. It's a grocery.
The cashier – a fat guy with greasy hair – is watching TV.
It all looks normal, although a bit shabby and lacking many options, and it could use a deep cleaning too, but I just want something to eat like right now.
My limbs are heavy and I'm running solely on willpower.
I'm glad I had the foresight to put money in my jacket pocket beforehand.
The cashier doesn't look at me even with the dingle at the door, he just keeps watching what looks like a football replay. It works for me.
I grab a basket, holding Sinuhe with one hand and putting the basket on the ground whenever I find something to put in it. I grab whatever is useful right now, like food that's already prepared and ready to eat with lots of snacks. But what about Sinuhe?
Do I buy meat or feed?
I open the coat a little, his beautiful colorless eyes open at the same moment.
'What do you want to eat?'
'Do you have raw meat, preferably bloody?'
Ugh, yikes.
But he's a wolf, what else would he want? Raspberry muffins?
I zip up my coat again, and head to the cold section.
The meat section doesn't look very good.
I pick the one that looks best, which coincidentally is extremely bloody too, it looks somewhat fresh.
I pick a pair of disposable undies, a packet of wet wipes and a pair of socks too. I don't even want to think about the situation in my shoes after all that running.
The cashier doesn't even notice when I put the basket on the counter.
"Hello." I say just to see if he will look at me.
He snorts as he passes the food through the machine. His clothes look somewhat faded and there's a big dark stain over his belly. I spend no second thinking about the origin of it.
Thirty-five dollars.
It pains me to see my money dwindling without knowing how things will go from here, but I'm almost swaying in place from hunger.
"Do you know where there is a room for someone that is cheap, but clean?"
"There's a boarding house on Teener Avenue and Waller Street," he says, voice low, turning to the TV.
I grab my bags with food and leave. Walking with bags and holding a pup in my arms is quite inconvenient but there's nothing I can do.
Sinuhe stirs inside the jacket and his little head pops from the top, looking cute and sleepy.
'I have a place to put the bags, it's not so big but it's enough to help.'
His adorable little voice sounds soft and babyish in my mind, I just want to squeeze and kiss him but my hands are full.
'What kind of place?' I ask back.
He turns his head to the bags in my hand and it simply disappears.
The lack of weight gives me a jolt.
I look around like a thief, there's nobody around but it still makes my heartbeat go crazy.
'How did you do that? Where's the bags?' I ask anxiously.
'It's my gift, I have this place inside me I can put things in and out, I used to put prey for the pack there, it doesn't spoil.'
A static portable space like those novels I used to read? Even pups can get this good gift?
I can practically feel my eyes glowing. I want a gift like this so much.
I try to calm myself and continue walking.
'How big is this space? Can you access it all the time? Can you bring someone inside?' I ask carefully.
'It's the size of a clearing I guess, um, I can use it anytime but I can't take living beings inside.'
An image of an open space pops up in my mind, the size of a hotel double room, but all white with no visible walls or ground, with my plastic bags inside.
It's actually not bad at all, even though it's not possible to enter, just putting stuff there and not spoiling is already a huge help. I won't ever lose anything.
Wow even a pup can project images, Lucca wasn't kidding when he said all supernaturals can do it.
My mood sours and I stop my brain in it's tracks before it thinks more about that place.
I'm not worried about Sammy because I doubt they'd do something against her, and she's not helpless anymore either. But I don't want to go back either. Not right now.
It takes about thirty minutes before I find life in the deserted streets.
I see a girl sitting on the sidewalk of a blue house. The only colorful house I've seen up until now. It still looks a little abandoned like the others though. There's some scattered items around, too dirty and small enough I can't make out what it is.
The girl is sitting on the porch steps, head down, like she's looking at ants. She's in a white dress, a little old fashioned, with no shoes.
Why are there so many people going around without shoes nowadays?
"Hello, could you tell me what city this is?"
The moment I step in near her she looks up at me.
Lou.
She looks so much like Lou.
My heart skips a beat. It's uncanny.
But she's younger than Lou, maybe around 14 or 15. Her face is gaunt too, her nails dirty, and her body much thinner than Lou's. Her hair is tied up in a ponytail but very oily and the color is off. Looking closer although her overall features are like Lou's, individually it does not look that much like her.
The sensation her gaze gives me puts me on high alert.
Her eyes are unfocused, like she can hear me but can't see me and it's just looking in my general direction. Her pupils are wide and lacking light.
"Dream City." Her voice is soft.
How strange.
"Do you know where Teener Avenue is?" I ask while preparing to go back the same way I came.
"Two blocks from here. Just turn left and keep going."
"Thanks." I say while already back on the street.
I move on, while the girl continues to look at the same place I was standing.
***
I look up.
Teener Avenue says the sign.
The streets remain deserted.
No sign of human life.
Silence is the only sound that can be heard besides my breathing and my heartbeat that merges with Sinuhe's.
Beyond the sign is a huge old house, faded and grimy with age.
There are no other houses in a 20 meter radius, just an open white fence covered in mud due to lack of maintenance.
It's a two story house with five large windows on both sides full of dust. They are all covered by heavy bleached gray curtains.
I hope there are no disgusting insects.
It's my biggest concern at the moment.
I head towards the green wooden front door.
Sinuhe grunts inside my coat.
The image of Lucca appears in my mind.
He's trying to communicate (it's another one of the things he told me that some supernaturals can do, no matter the distance or physical condition, but only Neefilins and wolves though, and only to people they have some connection with).
I don't want him to enter my mind.
I remember my cell phone that's in the back of my jeans.
The screen shows innumerous missed calls, messages and even my social media accounts were blown with notifications. I ignore it and return his last call.
"Where are you?" He asks without any inflection in his voice.
"I don't know." I lie.
I don't want him to find me.
At least not now.
I need some time alone.
"Look. I'm sorry about Pietro, he doesn't think about the consequences, he's an idiot."
"No need to apologize. I know he's an idiot." I retort.
A female voice murmurs something like 'Keep going, I'm almost there'.
It's Sammy.
"Tell me what it's like around you."
Sammy says 'We're finally going to find her'.
It sinks in.
They are tracking me.
Dammit!
"Sorry Lucca, I love you, but I need to be alone."
I end the call, turn on airplane mode first then turn off the phone and take out the battery and put it back in my pocket.
The door creaks as I push it.
The inside makes you think it's not in the same house.
The clean, luxurious furnishings are similar to those in a five-star hotel.
A scent like sandalwood perfumes the air.
How can it be like that on the outside?
A lady with white hair tied in a bun appears. Her attire is not out of place, just a bit old fashioned.
Her expression is kind and friendly.
"What do you need, darling?"
She reminds me a lot of my late grandmother.
"Do you have any rooms to rent?"
"Of course, my dear. But since you're my first guest, you can stay as long as you want for a discount. Breakfast is at eight"
Strange.
"Seriously?" I ask in disbelief.
"Of course, dear." She smiles kindly.
"But can I at least help with something? And what about pets?"
She gives a fleeting glance at the lump on my arms and continue smiling.
"Don't worry. You know, after my husband died, I decided I would shelter anyone who came knocking on my door, and you're the first in ten years. The city doesn't usually receive many visitors."
Very strange.
This is getting more and more abnormal.
"How old are you, darling?"
"Sixteen."
"I remember when I was your age. It was so long ago. What's your name, darling?"
Is she really going to keep calling me darling?
Do I say my real name or not?
"I'm Darla."
She takes my free hand and squeezes it.
She looks very happy.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Sally Martinson. I'll show you to your room."
I just let her lead me.